The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-09
WIND AND GAS,

1t Is great pity that nothing but tongues
and windmills can be operated by wind in this
city. If talking would bring in natural gas
we would not have to wait even until fall or
winter for it. But, unfortunately, gas will
cost money, and lots of it. After all the talk
for the last two or three months about local
capital and local companies being able and
willing to pipe natural gas into the city, and
while it is well known that it will require
million of dollars at least to bring it in,
not one-tenth of that amount has been even
subscribed Internationally for that purpose,
and it is not too much to say that no local
company or any local organization has a
definite plan or purpose to accomplish that
end. No local company has a gas-producing
well open; no local company can say that it
has even a certainty of procuring gas in suf-
icient quantity on any lands that it owns OF
has leased; yet, to hear some of the champions
of local organizations talk, it would appear as
though they only wanted permission to
lay the pipes before beginning work
No local company has mile of pipe or a con-
tract for mile of pipe do the officers of
any local company certainly know of any
place where they can get the right kind and
proper quantity Of such pipe within the next
year.
The Journal has no objection to a local
company bringing gas into the city. On the
contrary, if local company could and would
enter into a contract to bring gas into the
city this year, it would favor giving such
company the preference. But it has been
demonstrated, both by action and by non
action, that no local company can or will do
this thing and much as the Journal regrets
to say it, it begins to appear that there are
one or more local companies, at least COM
panies paper that, although ostensibly
started to bring in gas, are really being OPP
Grated to prevent the introduction of it.
And, further. it is manifest that, while the
large majority of our manufacturers are men
of broad and liberal views. who are in favor
of building up the city and encouraging other
manufactures, few Of them, and the noisiest
ones at that, are too narrow and selfish to
desire improvements, lest by them they would
encourage competition in their own line.
This is quite serious charge, but it is the
Goods truth about the whole business"
The Journal cares nothing for the Standard
Oil Company or any other foreign company;
but it is very clear that the representatives of
the Standard Oil Company who have been
here understand the gas business. They
have had experience in boring for and piping
natural gas. They have stated very clearly
under what sort of an ordinance it would be
possible to bring in the gas. They ask no
exclusive privileges. If an open ordinance Is
passed, and no other sort ought to be passed,
then if the Standard company will accept it,
our own local companies may be able to do so.
But it would be extreme folly for local COM
pany without experience, and with very
limited capital, to expect profitable invest
ment under conditions less favorable than
would be accepted by the Standard Oil Com
pany, with its great experience and I'M
limited capital. What is needed is an ordi-
nance liberal enough to guarantee its accept
ance by some company, but yet open to any
and all companies that have the money and
the gas, and the desire to operate under it.
There will be no oppression under an ordi-
nance that will be continuously open for COM
peting companies.